The present invention relates to a cutting insert for turning and grooving tools, primarily for grooving operations in metal workpieces. The insert could also be useful for cutting off rods, tubes or other rotationally symmetrical details. Such cutting inserts are provided with a cutting edge formed by the transition between the top surface or rake surface of the insert and its forward clearance face.
In metal cutting operations, the breaking of the chip and the shape of the chip are often of great importance for an undisturbed production. In modern, high production machines and tools, there is great demand for an efficient chip removal and good chip control. This is of special importance in such high-production machines in which a series of different tools are performing different operations in a continuous sequence. It is not unusual that in such operations the chips may become tangled and wrap around the workpiece or the tool. This creates problems in subsequent operations, especially if automated workpiece handling equipment is involved. These difficulties are compounded when it comes to camshaft or crankshaft turning where several grooves are generated in one operation. The end result is usually high production costs due to expansive machine downtime to clear chips or repair tools.
In view of the above and related difficulties with prior art inserts and tools, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved type of turning insert that is formed so as to optimize chip control for the specific demands and conditions of the difficult operations referred to above.
In accordance with the present invention, a dimpled chipbreaker and the confining walls thereof are designed so as to form the chip narrower than the groove such that more efficiently manageable safe chips can be obtained. Chip disposal should become safer, more efficient and less costly. With such inserts, it should become possible to generate a finished groove in one pass of the workpiece, such as a crankshaft.